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Monday, January 21, 2013

Good day at the barn

My drive to the barn was not uneventful, but ironically, it did involve barn-like things.

The short story is, I was hit with a load of hay.

The long story is, I was hit with a load of hay three miles from the barn. I was minding my own business, admiring an oncoming pick-up truck of second cut square bales when blammo! The lovely hay is flying off the hood of my car. I slammed on the brakes and let out a very girly squeal before pulling off on the shoulder. I've lost a bale or two while driving down the road before. No bigs. This guy's entire load landed on my car while I was driving 60mph. Kind of a bigs. Fortunately, hay explodes on impact and it was no harm done. I hepled the guy get the surviving bales out of the middle of the road and finished my drive to the barn without further ado.

Bobby was being super lazy about the concept of moving while getting tacked up and into the arena. "Yeah, yeah. I heard your invitation to move. I think I'd rather just hang here for awhile, thanks." In response, I got right after him as soon as I got my leg over and he very quickly became polite and forward, and it carried through our whole ride.

"poor me. i work so hard."

I had him in jump tack so I could do some no stirrup work (which seems like cheating in a dressage saddle) and work on changing the pace within gaits while in half seat. I haven't ridden in jump tack with spurs for quite awhile now. I've felt so loose and insecure with his jump that I didn't want to accidently poke him. Since I wasn't jumping, I strapped them back on and it made a big difference. Collecting and lengthening in half seat in the canter? Easy peasy. Same at the trot.

We worked through the leg yield movements from First....2? and the canter work from Training B. We attempted some trot lengthenings across the diagnol which were his best yet. Admittedly that's not saying much since they've been pretty much nonexistent thus far, but I think they're starting to emerge. And, of course, some truly torturous no stirrup work. Fucking hell, am I a weakling. That's all I have to say about that.

I finished by mauling poor Memphis with my clippers. The high of the week was actually today at a balmy 25* so I only gave him a bib clip instead of a trace and then snuggled him into his blanket. He's so adorable. He stood like a statue until I went to take care of his goat beard and the lips starting going. I've never seen a horse so interested in putting things in his mouth in my life. We had a little talk about how running clipper blades are not a smart choice and I stuffed some carrots down his throat.

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he looks made because i was waving the end of the
lead rope at him so he would stop trying to eat my phone.

No clue when I'll be out to the barn next. Sarah and I sent a tentative date for Thursday to participate in an activity neither of us is versed in, nor qualified to attempt. We make poor life choices together. I'll be sure to let you guys in on it if it plays out.